By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – Prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was detained Thursday by authorities in Iran for allegedly spreading propaganda and conspiring to harm the national security of the country.  Ms. Sotoudeh has represented numerous Iranian opposition activists against the government, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.  It is believed that Ms. Sotoudeh is currently being held in solitary confinement.

Ms. Sotoudeh has called the charges against her “absurd” and believes that her arrest is a reaction to her legal representation of Iranian activists.  She further stated that her clients will not be prevented from pursing their trials and having a chance to respond to the accusations levied against them.   Ms. Sotoudeh’s husband reported that his wife’s detention is indefinite and that he has been prohibited from visiting or contacting his wife.

Reporters Without Borders denounced Sotoudeh’s arrest noting that “Sotoudeh has for the past year been the spokesperson of victims of injustice, of those the regime is trying to silence.”  The organization further contends that “[b]y arresting lawyers, the regime is trying to gag the last dissenting voices.”  Amnesty International has demanded Ms. Sotoudeh’s release and fears that as a prisoner of conscience she is at risk of being tortured. The government has not yet commented on Ms. Sotoudeh’s detention or responded to claims of mistreatment.

For more information, please see:

Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran – Amnesty International: Demand Release of Human Rights Lawyer – 12 Sept. 2010

BBC News Middle East – Iran Opposition Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Detained – 9 Sept. 2010

Associated Press – Iran Detains Prominent Opposition Lawyer – 8 Sept. 2010

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – RSF Condemns Iranian Lawyer’s Arrest – 8 Sept. 2010

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – Human Rights Lawyer Summoned: “Drop the Ebadi Case or Face Problems!” – 1 Sept. 2010

By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – 23 Shiite Muslims were arrested Monday in Bahrain for an alleged plot to topple the country’s Sunni Muslim monarchy.   The government claims that the individuals are terrorists attempting to execute a foreign-backed coup d’état.   These accusations come as Bahrain prepares for its upcoming parliamentary elections on October 23.  

In anticipation of the October election, the government initiated an intensive security crackdown targeting potential threats to national security.   Bahrain’s Sunni minority maintains power within the country against the backdrop of intense religious and political conflict.  The Sunni monarchy is backed by regional power Saudi Arabia, while predominately Shiite Iran supports Bahrain’s Shiite community.  The religious dynamics in Bahrain remain a constant stressor in social and political relations as each group seeks to solidify their control of the political arena.  Currently, Shiites hold 17 of the 40 parliamentary seats, but Sunnis fear that they could become the political majority after the October election. 

Among the 23 accused Shiites are academics, civil servants and at least eight opposition figures and human rights activists.  The arrests are just the latest in a wider security campaign which has led to the detention of over 250 Shiites.  The detention of Shiites, mostly youths, has fueled social tensions and has spurred riots and street clashes with police.  In response to criticism from numerous human rights organizations, the government articulated its fear that Iran could use members of the Shiite community to operate campaigns of sabotage and espionage during the upcoming elections.

As part of its new domestic security strategy the government also decided to reassert state control over mosques within Bahrain.  Defending this move, Crown Prince Salman said in comments to BNA news agency that “[r]egaining control of the pulpits so they are not hostage to incompetent politicians or clerics who have lost their way…is a starting point for developing a sound religious orientation.”   Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa notes that the mosques would be run so as to promote “the values of tolerance and moderation.”

Gulf Daily News further reports that authorities have been given strict instructions to deprive those attempting to jeopardize the security of the nation of legal rights and services.  Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al-Khalifa stated that “[c]itizens committed to the law and constitution can’t be treated on the same footing with law-breakers seeking to subvert national security and stability.”

Despite extensive criticism from human rights agencies, the business community within Bahrain has come out in staunch support of the government’s tougher security measures.  The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry commended Prime Minister Al-Khalifa and the Crown Prince for disrupting the plot to destabilize Bahrain.  International rights organizations however, fear that future detentions of Shiites may destabilize the country as social pressures between Sunnis and Shiites rise. 

For more information, please see;

Agence France Presse – Bahrain to Reassert State Control Over Mosques – 6 Sept. 2010

Gulf Daily News – Cabinet Praises Swift Arrests of Terror Plotters – 6 Sept. 2010

Los Angeles Times – Bahrain Arrests Dozens of Shiite Muslims Accused of plotting Coup d’etat – 6 Sept. 2010

Telegraph U.K. – Peers Attack Bahrain Over Human Rights – 6 Sept. 2010

Bahrain News Agency – BCCI Backs Measures to Preserver Bahrain’s Security and Stability – 5 Sept. 2010

By Alyxandra Stanczak
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – This past Tuesday, the European Union condemned the stoning of Iranian women for the crime of adultery. The condemnation comes in light of the sentencing of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was convicted of murder and adultery. Ashtiani confessed to both crimes after receiving ninety-nine lashes. She has since recinded her confession and her lawyer is adamant that it was made under duress.

During the holy month of Ramadan, which ends on 1o September, there is a customary stay of any death penalties; during this time, Ashtiani’s lawyer has appealed to Iran’s supreme court and they are reconsidering her case. Though Ashtiani is the center of the international debate on stoning, the punishment she could face is not rare for Iran to implement. Approximately forty-five people have been sentenced to death by stoning since 2003.

The international outcry to this event is overwhelming. France’s foreign minister Bernard Kouchner stated that he would personally fly to Tehran and do whatever it takes to free Ashtiani. Similar sentiments have been expressed by the Vatican, who stated that they would attempt behind-the-scenes diplomacy to save Ashtiani’s life. Brazil has offered Ashtiani political asylum. International human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have also taken a lead roll in advocating on behalf of Ashtiani by placing telephone calls petitioning the government to reconsider their sentence.

In response to European criticism, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Ashtiani faced charges of murder and infidelity and the case shouldn’t be linked to human rights.

Stoning was implemented as a form of punishment after the 1979 Iranian revolution. The current government maintains that the death penalty, which includes hanging and stoning, is essential to maintain public order. According to Amnesty International statistics, ten people were put to death by stoning in 1995, making it one of the worst years in Iran’s history for that form of punishment. For a brief period in 2002, the Iranian judiciary put a moratorium on death by stoning. However, in recent years and despite the international outcry, stoning has been increasing in frequency.

For more information, please see:

The Huffington Post – Iran stoning case: EU condemns ‘barbaric’ plan, Iran scoffs at European concerns – 7 September 2010

Reuters – Iran tells the world: don’t make stoning a rights issue – 7 September 2010

Voice of America – Iran: Stoning case not human rights issue – 7 September 2010

Now Public – Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani Sentenced to Death by Stoning in Iran – 5 July 2010

By Alyxandra Stanczak
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Just days after the official withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on European countries to halt the return of Iraqi refugees to the country.   UNHCR’s appeal came in response to the forced return of 61 Iraqi refugees from four countries last week.   The Commissioner expressed concern about continuing violence within Iraq.  UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists that the Commissioner “strongly urge[s] European governments to provide Iraqis with protection until the situation in their areas of origin in Iraq allows for safe and voluntary returns.”

The latest round of forced deportations is the third in a series of efforts to send Iraqi refugees back to the war torn nation.  UNHCR issued guidelines to European governments hosting refugees recommending that they not be sent home until violence subsides.  The Commissioner reiterated that European nations ought to facilitate development efforts within Iraq.  Although 50,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq to train and support Iraq’s army and police forces, President Obama announced that all U.S. troops will leave the country by the end of 2011.

According to UNHCR, five provinces, including Baghdad, are sites of continued violence and human rights violations.  The Commissioner has encouraged European nations to offer Iraqi asylum seekers protective status as per the 1951 Refugee Convention.  UNHCR noted that the forced return of refugees may send a message to Middle Eastern countries harboring Iraqi refugees that protection of refugees is no longer necessary.  Currently 1.6 million Iraqi refugees reside in Jordan and Syria and another 50,000 in Lebanon.  

Although President Obama reported that “security incidents have been near the lowest on record since the war began,” UNHCR fears that refugees returning to Iraq will become victims of instability and violence.  Car bombings, kidnappings, and mortar attacks remain a daily occurrence within Iraq.  The Commissioner explained that all nations hosting refugees have a continuing obligation to protect those who have sought asylum until conditions within Iraq improve.

For more information, please see;

Agence France Presse – UNHCR Urges Halt to Unsafe Iraqi Refugee Returns – 3 Sept. 2010

Reuters Africa – U.N. Refugee Agency Blasts Europe for Deporting Iraqis – 3 Sept. 2010

New York Times – Iraq: U.N. Asks Europe to Halt Deportations – 3 Sept. 2010

Washington Times – Deportation of Iraqis from Europe Worries U.N. Agency – 3 Sept. 2010